Twisted

The Crowning Ceremony

Boruto dragged his feet as he walked, supported by Shikadai and Mitsuki. Despite his friends' attempts, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

The further away he walked, the more his body filled with an inexplicable heaviness and numbness. There was an acute pain in his chest that hadn't been there before. Wrenching, like a knife into a sack of grain, making whatever had been inside spill out.

His feet stopped as he struggled to suck in a breath.

"Boruto?"

His fingers dug into his chest. "Shikadai, something... Something's wrong..."

Shikadai shifted more of his weight onto his shoulder. "You're just suffering the loss of a broken heart. Come on, we gotta get back to the castle before your dad makes your punishment any worse."

"But I--"

"Sasuke is behind us," said Mitsuki. "You know he'll force you forward with his blade to your neck if he has to."

Boruto's fingers practically tore the buttons from his shirt. "He needs to protect her, not follow me..."

"He is following her," Mitsuki continued. "He's trailing behind to guard her, and also to stop you from chasing after them. Turn back now, and he'll have to escort you to the castle instead. If your concern is her safety, it'd be best to keep walking forward."

"I just... I feel like something is off."

Shikadai sighed. "Your hunches aren't usually wrong..." He unwrapped Boruto's arm from his shoulder and let his weight fall onto Mitsuki. "I'll keep an eye on her and see where they take her to. Make sure you get him to the castle, Mitsuki."

Mitsuki nodded.

Boruto even lifted his head. "...Shikadai?"

"What are friends for? Don't worry. If they try to hide her in some foreign country, I'll make sure I know where it is," he said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "You have my word."

Before he could turn around, Boruto grabbed Shikadai's wrist firmly and looked him dead in the eyes. "Thank you."

"Hurry up and become King, Prince Boruto."

Boruto watched Shikadai's shadow disappear into the darkness before pooling the remaining strength he had into his legs. He had to trust that his best friend would take care of things or run back and warn him if something was wrong. He had to trust that they would both help him make sense of this mess.

With Mitsuki still shouldering the majority of his weight, he trudged through the alleyways and towards the castle, hood up and head down.

They weaved through the hoards of people lining the castle, waiting for entry to get in to watch the inevitable take place.

He suddenly wondered what they were going to do about a crown, but when he made it to the castle gates and Shikamaru was waiting for him, he had a feeling it didn't matter.

Putting a firm hand around the back of Boruto's neck, Shikamaru looked down at him displeasingly. "Where is my son?"

Boruto opened his mouth, but he couldn't find the strength to respond.

"You may wish to ease up on him, Master Shikamaru," said Mitsuki. "He can hardly walk as it is. If he crumbles before the crowning ceremony, it would cause you more trouble than scolding him now would be worth."

Shikamaru clicked his tongue. "I hope you had fun pulling the last prank of your life," he said, guiding him away from Mitsuki. "Hurry to the throne room. Your father is waiting."